Widening of a stretch of Illinois 159 to five lanes took place around 2006; the highway is now five lanes from Fairview Heights to Edwardsville, with the exception of downtown Collinsville, where a similar widening project was completed in 2012.[citation needed]
History
SBI Route 159 ran from Red Bud to Alton. In 1964, the Edwardsville to Alton segment was changed to Illinois Route 143, and Illinois 159 was run north through Edwardsville to Royal Lakes, replacing Illinois Route 112. This created an unusual 3 way multiplex in downtown Edwardsville where you went north on 157, south on 159, and east on 143 for 2 blocks. This multiplex was not signed, however. In 2003 Illinois 159 was rerouted through Edwardsville, which eliminated that multiplex.
An Alternate Illinois Route 159 was proposed by Edwardsville on the old Illinois 159 alignment on Troy Road, but was never implemented.[2]